


have faith, for the universe will bless you and bring forth all that you need

by fireweed15



Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: Gen, Pre-Canon, SavePortia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-14
Updated: 2020-04-14
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:08:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 616
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23645146
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fireweed15/pseuds/fireweed15
Summary: Pasha Devorak meets her patroness.
Kudos: 10





	have faith, for the universe will bless you and bring forth all that you need

It’s the middle of the night, and Pasha Devorak can’t sleep.

She is also very, very lost.

It’s not _her_ fault! Ilya comes with her on walks and stuff when it’s light out, but he’s afraid of the water. Maybe after what happened, she should be afraid too—but she’s not! But now she’s lost. But it’s okay because it should be… right… about… here!

She emerges from the underbrush, but the sand under her shoes is bright, almost white even in the darkness. It… didn’t typically look like that. The pier and the lighthouse are still there, still the same, but it feels… different, somehow.

Pasha wonders if, and then decides that yes, she’s wandered to a different part of the coast, one Ilya hasn’t shown her yet. She makes a mental note to tell him off for being a rotten brother for keeping such a cool secret from her before walking down the dock and perching on the edge of it, her feet dangling above the water and her gaze on the horizon.

From behind her, a voice—bright and warm like a candle but without a Nevivonian accent—"Hello there!“

Pasha stands and turns, and finds herself facing… she settles on _an adult_ , a girl, as tall as any grownup, carrying a clay jar almost as big as Pasha herself and wearing a long blue dress tied at one should… but a cat, with fur the color of butterscotch and bright blue eyes. She stares, transfixed.

The feline approaches her, stopping a few paces away. "What brings you to my neck of the woods, little one?”

When she speaks, it’s gentle and out of curiosity, and it begins to dawn on Pasha that she’s not going to be in trouble. “I’m waiting for Mama and Papa.”

Her expression becomes sad, and she looks past Portia, toward the horizon, for just a moment. “Honey… they’re not coming back,” she says bracingly.

The words sink in slowly, and then it hits all at once. “…Oh. I guess Ilya was right.” She turns away, hugging herself as she sits on the end of the pier, contemplating a life without her parents.

The only sign that the cat had come closer was the soft creak of boards of the pier. “May I sit with ya?” she asks.

Pasha nods, rubbing her eyes with the heels of her hands. The cat settles next to her, setting her jug on the pier. Her tail sweeps the salty wood of the pier in slow, almost content arcs.

After a few moments, Pasha looks up at her. “I’m Pasha. What’s your name?”

She smiles warmly at Pasha, leaning back on one hand. “Nice to meet you, Pasha. You can call me Star.”

Pasha nods slowly, thinking carefully for a moment before asking a new question. “May I pet you?”

“Go for it!” Star replies brightly.

Pasha stands and lifts a hand to gently work her fingers into the soft fur at Star’s cheeks. Despite the fact that Star looked and acted and talked like a grown up, she was still very much a cat—her eyes closed slowly, and her purring as Pasha pet her fur made her fingertips tingle. It felt nice, comfortable… _safe_ —safe enough to allow Pasha to murmur, “…Is me waiting for them silly?”

“Nooo,” Star soothed, opening her eyes and turning to look at Pasha. “You love them—enough to hope.” She lifts a hand to cup Pasha’s cheek. “You have a big heart, Pasha—and do you want to know a secret?”

Pasha nods tearfully, and Star thumbs away a few of the tears that spilled over. “I can tell you’re going to be okay.”

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Portia Appreciation Week event on Tumblr


End file.
